» At the plate: Miller leads the team with a .409 batting average and in 10 conference games, his batting average is .474. He has 45 hits, including six doubles and three triples, nine RBI and has scored 29 runs. He also has seven walks and has been hit by 14 pitches.

» On base: Miller has stolen 19 bases on 20 attempts so far this season.

» In the outfield:The freshman has racked up 67 putouts on 69 chances and has one error. LMU coach Jason Gill said Miller has made a number of diving catches and literally robbed a USC batter of a home run.

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Not many college freshmen athletes get the chance to start for a Division I team.

Even fewer lead their baseball team in hitting and stolen bases.

Austin Miller, a freshman at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, is doing all of the above and is only a couple months into his first season as a starting center fielder for the Lions.

Miller, a Greeley West graduate, said he put in a lot of work during the offseason and his goal was just to get prepared.

“I wasn’t trying to stand out from anyone — I was just trying to work hard every day in practice and show the coaches what I had,” Miller said. “Coach (Jason) Gill and Coach (Bryant) Ward both thought that was enough to put me in the starting lineup. And, when I saw I was in the starting lineup from the beginning of the season, I just thought that was my chance to prove myself to them and the team.

“I’m blessed with the opportunity, being able to start,” he added. “All the credit goes to the coaches in getting me prepared.”

Going into Saturday’s game, the Lions were 7-3 in the West Coast Conference and 17-13 overall. Miller leads the team at the plate with a .409 batting average and in 10 conference games, his batting average is .474.

“I think sooner or later here, he’s probably gonna get national recognition as he continues to do what he’s doing,” Gill said. “I mean, I think we’re halfway through the season and he’s hitting a solid .400.”

But, Gill said Miller brings more to the team than just athletic ability.

“He’s a really good young man,” he said. “He’s a very hard worker and he’s a great teammate. When you’re dealing with 35 people and you have enough people like that, you have a chance to have a quality team, and Austin fits right in with that.”

Miller said it’s been pretty easy to fit in with the team in his first year.

“One of my main reasons why I chose Loyola Marymount was because of the coaching staff and what the baseball program has to offer here,” Miller said. “I like that they’re in the West Coast Conference — it’s a very competitive conference. And team-wise, the older guys are very encouraging, they were very welcoming. … We bond very well together as a team. I think that helps us on the field, as well.”

Miller said it has been tough being away from his family, though.

“I feel like I’ll always be a little homesick, but after a couple months from the beginning of the school year, I settled in,” he said. “And obviously, this semester playing every day, being able to be out on the field, helps a lot.”

However, Miller said his family came out for the Lions’ first home series against Utah Valley.

“That was pretty special to me,” he said. “ … It’s been hard, but I know my parents are proud. I talk to them on a daily basis, or as much as I can. So, I think they’re proud of me and they’re happy (about) the opportunity that I got to be out here to play college baseball.”

Gill said anytime he and his coaches recruit someone from out of state, they’re not really sure what kind of person they’re taking on.

“With Austin, we saw him out at a tournament in Arizona and then we kinda just went with our gut,” he explained. “And, what a fantastic young man he’s turned out to be and that’s not even talking about his athletic ability — that’s just him as a person.”

However, Miller has been impressive athletically. He has 45 hits, including six doubles and three triples, nine RBI and has scored 29 runs. He also has seven walks and has been hit by 14 pitches. When Loyola Marymount played UCLA on Tuesday night, Miller was 2 of 3 at the dish.

Miller has also shown his Road-Runner-like speed on the bases, stealing 19 bases on 20 attempts. Gill said Miller was blessed with speed, but also has “phenomenal” instincts for stealing bases.

“I think he’s got a special talent for the game and because he’s such a hard worker, he’s very coachable and a lot of things are happening for him the right way,” Gill said.

He added that it’s easy to see the offensive skills Miller has because the stats are all on paper, but he also shines defensively.

“What he does for us defensively is amazing,” Gill said. “Some of the plays he’s made on defense, he robbed a home run in the first inning against USC — literally. It seemed like he got five feet over the fence. And, he’s made a number of diving plays or just great catches. … His defense alone has helped us win games or stay in games quite a few times.”

At center field, Miller has racked up 67 putouts on 69 chances and has one error this season.

Gill said he has a handful of freshmen that play for him, but Miller “has been by far the brightest star of those freshmen.”

“He’s doing things that juniors in college can’t do,” Gill said with a laugh. “So, I think he’s a really talented baseball player, to be quite honest with you. … When we recruited him, I don’t think we knew exactly what we were getting. We knew we were getting somebody that could run and bat left-handed and had a certain skill set. But, I think he’s exceeded our expectations to this point.”